if teaparty supporters are anti-lightrail, they ought to be pro-bike

Tea Party Says Don't Build Light Rail, It Might Attract Terrorists

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

The Georgia Tea Party has come up with a novel reason for opposing a regional transportation tax ** that will pay for a light rail project: It might become a terrorist target. Chairman J.D. Van Brink explains:

"Now, if we have a more decentralized mass transit system using buses, if the terrorists blow up a single bus, we can work around that. When they blow up a rail, that just brings the system to a grinding halt. So how much security are we going to have on this rail system, and how much will it cost?"

So the Tea Party has gone BANANAs, Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything, who knows what might attract terrorists. Chairman Brink reminds us of London and Madrid, but by his logic, one shouldn't build anything where people gather.

And to carry this logic further, one might point out that bikes, with only one person on each, are by far the most decentralized and therefore the safest means of transport. It is also really hard to hide things under spandex. So if the Georgia Tea Party is really concerned about security, it should be promoting bike lanes. Or as they headlined the post at the Awl, Let's Not Build Anything Ever Again, Never Forget.

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**I believe in a regional transportation tax more than a federal one. -Lauren